is it bad if shingles go near your eyes?

[cocolepew]

There's something rattling around the back of my brain about his but I can't remember what exactly

The danger is when you get blisters around the tip of your nose. It can damage yuor eyesight. Why do you ask? My wife had Shingles in this area and suffered permanent damage to her vision.

Yes can damage the optic nerve I think. I was told by my optician that if it goes from your eye down to the end of your nose it's of more concern. Do you have shingles Coco?

My father had shingles in his eye last year. He had blisters on his retina - which has led to scarring and loss of vision. He has been on a long course of steroids drops to try to decrease the inflammation which has helped a lot, but his vision has been permanently affected.

Thanks everyone, I have them at the back of my head. But my face is sore and my eye feels like it's getting a stye.

I had them on my head coco, and they came down around my eye area, but didn't go to my nose, I haven't had any visual problems. I think they can start round the eye and be more problematic. Sympathies - they are nasty.

Mrs BigGitDad here. My shingles started with a stabbing pain in the eye. Blisters then came up in my eyebrow and round my eye. Unfortunately by the time it was diagnosed the blisters had reached the tip of my nose and the damage was done. This is called Hutchinson's sign, have a google. I would definately go to the Dr tomorrow. Mine gave me acyclovir (oral antiviral drugs) which can help. If you are in any doubt go straight to your local eye hospital. Ones near me operate a sort of A&E service. I had every complication known from it and a few rarely seen as well. I spent weeks toing and froing to the eye hospital. My vision is now permanently damaged in that eye, no glasses or anything else can correct it. The eye is starting to cloud over and may get worse, the only treatment left would be a cornea transplant if things get a lot worse. Please don't be over cautious its not worth it.

Thank you MrsBG, This is my second dose since christmas. Thanks for your advice and I'm sorry you've suffered such complications. I will be vigilant.

Poor you, I live in complete fear of ever having it again. You must be really fed up. Hopefully because of where it started it won't travel to the eye. All my pain before blisters started was in my eye and above it . Where did you have it first? (I'm MrsBgd by the way).

On my back just under my shoulder blade. I was in agony for weeks, then got a slight rash and a few blisters, it felt much better when they appeared. I've still been getting nerve pain and having horrendous headaches for a couple of weeks and I felt the spots under my hair yesterday.

Have you got acyclovir this time Coco?

It's hell isn't it. My pain started 4 days before the blisters. I went to Dr then eye hosp twice then A&E and got a different reason from each. I thought it must be a brain tumour or something! Still cross with A&E as blisters in eyebrow had appeared and he said it was sinus infection and the blister was a spot. SIL diagnosed me over the phone that evening but by the time I got to Dr in morning spots had spread. I would still try and get acyclovir or something. Apart from the eye damage I have numbness and tingling on my face and if I am ill or tired it gets worse. The antivirals may halt the spread of it for you.

My mum has had shingles twice - she had it most recently around Christmas and was given some sort of eye drops and anti virals. She was told that if she felt any pain in/near her eyes she needed to see a doctor immediately.

Yes the sooner you can get the AV's the greater the chance of them working, certainly worth trying. I was (sort of) lucky in that mine was caught v. early, - I had compromised immune system, so shingles predictable. Awful to have it twice in such a short space of time, and Wags - yours sounds like an absolutely ghastly experience

My Dr told me that not all areas will prescribe antivirals. Our does but apparently some think it's not worth spending the money as they don't always help. Was a horrible time not least because DD was 2 and DS 12 weeks. I spent a lot of time sobbing at the eye hospital and Breastfeeding him in the loos as I got lots of looks from all the old men that seemed to be there when I was. Then 2 weeks later the DC's went down with chicken pox on the same day.... joy

I didn't know that about them not prescribing AV's hope you manage to get some Coco.

My mum had shingles in her eye, she spent loads of time at the eye hospital (out patient) she is fine now though, with no lasting side effects thankfully.

Deffo go the docs ASAP for AV's as they will only give them in the first 72 hours I think (dont quote me on that)

Our Drs only give AVs in the first 48 hours. Doesn't seem to be any change in my eye so I think it'll be ok

Thanks everyone

Shingles of the eye occurs when herpes zoster virus affects the first (ophthalmic) branch of the trigeminal nerve. The blistering rash of shingles may be preceded by numbness, pain or tingling around the eye. The eye itself is affected in approximately 50% of cases of ophthalmic shingles.
If the nose tip is affected by the rash then this signifies involvment of the nasociliary branch of the trigeminal nerve. This branch supplies the globe of the eye and makes it highly probable that the eye will be affected. The eye can be seriously affected despite there being little evidence of a shingles rash.
Normally antivirals such as aciclovir (Zovirax) have to be given in the first 72 hours to be effective in shingles but when shingles affects the eye they can be started even after this 72 hour window has elapsed.
Antivirals are safe and effective at reducing the severity of shingles of the eye.
However, if you get shingles of the eye you also need to see an Ophthalmologist (Eye Doc) ASAP

Dh had shingles around the upper quarter of his face and head, and his eye was a sight to behold - it puffed up like an elephant seals eye and had the most revolting gunk running from it. Luckily, there was emergency surgery (it was Christmas day about 6 years ago) and I took him straight into the eye infirmary and the Chemist on Boxing Day for the drugs. He is the RN, and the Naval doc gave him a month off (unheard of), and wanted to see him, even though he didn't need to, just to see how bad he looked; he said he'd never seen anyone look that bad!

He still gets numbness and tingling when he gets really tired and neuralgia at times. His sight is OK, but the docs where we are now are excellent and he goes to Leuven every six months for eye check ups.